LSC Basketball Quick Notes
12 teams have clinched berths in the Lone Star Conference Championship with one week left in the regular season. The four teams in the men’s South Division - Midwestern State, Tarleton State, Angelo State and West Texas A&M - and women’s North Division - Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma and Texas Woman’s - are set. UCO and NSU have secured a spot in the men’s North Division, while WTAMU and Tarleton have qualified in the women’s South Division. For championship history information see page 5 for the men and 8 for the women.
Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men’s and women’s side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.
The LSC men have a 196-155 overall record so far this season, including a 103-73 mark in the South Division and 93-82 in the North. In league crossover play the South has the advantage, 27-22. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men’s teams are currently 24-11 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 3-2 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
The LSC women are 204-172 overall, with a 105-71 mark in the South and 99-101 in the North this season. In league crossover action, the South Division holds a 38-18 record over its North opponents. In the NCAA South Central Region, the women’s teams are currently 25-11 combined versus Heartland Conference squads and 5-4 against the MIAA.
In men’s games played last week, the LSC had four players score more than 30 points, 16 over the 20-point mark and eight double-digit rebounders, while eight recorded double-doubles.
Points, Men: 38, Damian Henderson, SWOSU at ECU
Rebounds, Men: 16, William Slones, SE vs CU
Assists, Men: 11, Jason Ebie, MSU vs ACU
Steals, Men: 4, Two players
On the women’s side, the league had three players over the 30-point mark, 14 with more than 20 points and 10 double-digit rebounders, while nine posted double-doubles in action last week. Top performances included:
Points, Women: 35, Kayla Weaver, TWU at A&M-C
Rebounds, Women: 14, Two players
Assists, Women: 8, Kat Kundmueller, ACU vs Tarleton, ACU at MSU
Steals, Women: 7, Shelby Adamson, Tarleton vs TAMUK
Players of the Week
NORTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Jason Jones, Northeastern State, Sr., Center, Cahors, France
Jones scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Northeastern State snapped No. 25-ranked Central Oklahoma’s 16-game winning streak with an 81-74 victory on Feb. 20. The win also avenged the RiverHawks’ 84-50 loss on Feb. 1. Jones was proficient from the field, hitting on 8-of-13 shots, 2-of-4 from behind the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He scored 16 of his 23 points in the first half as Northeastern State took a 34-32 edge at the break. The win helped the RiverHawks forge a tie for first place in the LSC North race with two games remaining.
NORTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
No nominations.
SOUTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Joe Mincey, West Texas A&M, Jr., Guard, Brunswick, Ga./Glyn Academy
Mincey tallied his second 30-point outing of the season when he nailed 30 points (10-of-16 from the field, 10-of-12 from the line) against Angelo State, in leading the Buffs to an 85-84 win. That contest also saw him grab six rebounds, dish an assist and record a steal without committing a turnover. For the season, the Brunswick, Ga., native stands first among Buff scoring leaders, with a 12.8 ppg. average (16th-best among LSC scoring leaders) while also grabbing 4.1 rebounds per outing.
SOUTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Jeremiah Wilson, Tarleton State, Sr., F, Chicago, Ill.
Wilson helped the Texan to two Lone Star Conference South Division victories last week. He recorded a team-high nine rebounds in a 70-60 win at Abilene Christian while pulling down six rebounds in a 78-59 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville in his final home game of the season. Wilson tallied 11 defensive rebounds for the week while adding three blocks and three steals. He averaged 14.5 points per game, scoring 15 at ACU and 14 at home against the Javelinas. The opponents this week averaged .376 from the field and .330 from the arc while Tarleton outrebounded the foes 38.0 to 29.0, including a 52 defensive rebounds for the Texans to just 23 offensive rebounds for the opponents.
NORTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Jasmine Webb, Northeastern State, Jr., Post, Owasso, Okla./Owasso HS
Webb averaged a double-double this week as Northeastern State took sole possession of first place in the Lone Star North Division race. The Owasso junior post had a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday in an 81-66 win over Central Oklahoma to avenge the team’s only league loss. Webb was 9-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free throw line in 29 minutes of action. Earlier in the week, Webb scored 13 points in the RiverHawks’ 66-52 win at Texas Woman’s where she was 6-of-9 from the floor. She collected six rebounds, five of those coming on the offensive end. For the week, Webb shot a remarkable .714 from the field and .800 from the charity stripe as Northeastern State improved to 22-5 overall and 11-1 in the LSC North.
NORTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Megan Fraley, Northeastern State, Jr., Guard, Adair, Okla./Adair HS
Fraley was exceptional of both ends of the court last week as Northeastern State took over sole possession of first place in the Lone Star North at 11-1. Fraley, a guard, was largely responsible in a stellar defensive effort where Texas Woman’s shot 26.9 percent (14-of-52) and Central Oklahoma was held to a season-low 37.3 percent shooting (22-of-59). Fraley’s counterparts she guarded were a combined 8-of-27 from the field. Fraley also produced 29 points, 20 of those coming against UCO where she was 7-of-11 overall, 6-of-10 from the arc with five assists on the day.
SOUTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Brittnie Haley, Tarleton State, Jr., Forward, Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville
Haley averaged 14.5 points on the week and helped guide the TexAnns to a 2-0 record in the south division and a berth in Tarleton’s seventh straight LSC Tournament. The Duncanville native opened the week with a 22-point effort at Abilene Christian, scoring seven of Tarleton’s final 13 points that included the game winning basket at the buzzer to defeat the Wildcats, 66-64. She then turned in a seven-point effort against the visiting Javelinas on Saturday that helped the TexAnns to a 91-42 win and a spot in the conference tournament. Haley finished the week shooting .650 percent from the floor, pulled down four offensive rebounds and dished out three assists.
SOUTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Nolisha Markham, Midwestern State, Jr., Forward, Tulsa, Okla./East Central HS
Markham’s block of Jody Meyer’s layup attempt and subsequent rebound with 14 seconds remaining proved critical in helping Midwestern State break a 10-game losing streak by defeating Abilene Christian 64-61 Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The junior from Tulsa’s block enabled the Mustangs to maintain a narrow one-point lead, and then Markham hit two free throws to seal MSU’s first LSC South Division victory. Markham finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots, but her play on the defensive end of the floor helped limit ACU’s best scorer to 17 points on 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) shooting the floor. Markham had given MSU its late one-point advantage on a clutch 15-foot jumper with 30 seconds to play.
